Horsewright Knives and Leather

[The Zieg]

Sorry for covering your maker's stamp, Dave

 

[Horsewright]

I see how you are hiding my sheath's carving with your hand and tools

Watch me dive in and out in the sheath hide and seek:

Needs sewing:

Now it's all sewn and been baked and oiled. Rub the edges this morning and put the finish on and it'll be ready to ship.

Sorry for covering your maker's stamp, Dave

Cool pic Zieg. Perfect knife for such a sheath. Not to worry I recognize the work!

 

[Horsewright]

Osage is such an underrated material, beautiful work Dave.

Ya know it really is. Almost as hard as ironwood seems like from working it. Every time I use it I think I need to do this more. Then I forget about it for a while and remeber it when I’m rummaging through my handle material boxes.

 

[The Zieg]

I like how the boot/pocket sheath can go almost anywhere. Thigh pockets on carpenter pants and overalls are my main use for this sheath. The Dawson Outback originally sported a thick round pair of scales, but it needed to be slimmed down. I am going to sand down a pair of antler scales at some point and it will be the perfect match and not look so industrial.

 

[echoscout]

The Soronan Belt Knife came in yesterday. Reckon it sure is nice.

 

[DocJekl]

Watch me dive in and out in the sheath hide and seek:

Needs sewing:

Now it's all sewn and been baked and oiled. Rub the edges this morning and put the finish on and it'll be ready to ship.

Cool pic Zieg. Perfect knife for such a sheath. Not to worry I recognize the work!

Lookin' good! Thanks

 

[Angry Waiter]

The Soronan Belt Knife came in yesterday. Reckon it sure is nice.

View attachment 2689887

I imagine this will be on your belt quite often David. I love mine and my wife got smitten too, so I requested a second which she got for Christmas last year.

 

[Horsewright]

Lookin' good! Thanks

Yes sir thank you and here she is.

And with her Compadre:

And the other sheaths that I did at the same time:

David sure glad ya like that Belt Knife! Here's another one and its sheath I just finished off:

It's taking a quick trip to GA so it can head north and go pheasant hunting in ND. Sure glad those ones are working out for ya Pete. Might have to tell ya guys how the Sonoran Belt knife (and Hunter and Skinner) got its name.

 

[cbach8tw]

Would love to hear a tall tale about how the Sonorans!! Let me prop my heels up in the stool and get my coffee!! Would be good time to share with friends.

 

[echoscout]

I imagine this will be on your belt quite often David. I love mine and my wife got smitten too, so I requested a second which she got for Christmas last year.

Thanks pard! I got an idea it'll see plenty of belt time

Would love to hear a tall tale about how the Sonorans!! Let me prop my heels up in the stool and get my coffee!! Would be good time to share with friends.

Me too. I got my coffee cup full and I'm all ears

 

[echoscout]

Reminds me of a feedlot I worked at years ago. On Saturday afternoon when the work was done for the day we'd gather at the horse barn. Ice chests were opened and story telling started. Good times indeed.

 

[Angry Waiter]

Sure glad those ones are working out for ya Pete. Might have to tell ya guys how the Sonoran Belt knife (and Hunter and Skinner) got its name.

I’m all ears!

Thanks pard! I got an idea it'll see plenty of belt time

 

[cbach8tw]

I can hear the tale starting like this, “Well, my grandpappy used to say……”

 

[mitch13]

Yes sir thank you and here she is.

And with her Compadre:

And the other sheaths that I did at the same time:

David sure glad ya like that Belt Knife! Here's another one and its sheath I just finished off:

It's taking a quick trip to GA so it can head north and go pheasant hunting in ND. Sure glad those ones are working out for ya Pete. Might have to tell ya guys how the Sonoran Belt knife (and Hunter and Skinner) got its name.

Some great work there Dave!
Thanks for sharing mate.

 

[DocJekl]

That looks great Dave! Can't wait to get it now that it is done!

 

[Horsewright]

Thanks pard! I got an idea it'll see plenty of belt time

Me too. I got my coffee cup full and I'm all ears

Reminds me of a feedlot I worked at years ago. On Saturday afternoon when the work was done for the day we'd gather at the horse barn. Ice chests were opened and story telling started. Good times indeed.

I’m all ears!

I can hear the tale starting like this, “Well, my grandpappy used to say……”

Some great work there Dave!
Thanks for sharing mate.

That looks great Dave! Can't wait to get it now that it is done!

Thanks guys for the kind words.

Once upon a time.....


I have a buddy, JP. Pretty famous guy. He was a Hollywood A lister in the 80s. A big hunter, he's pretty much hunted the world. He'd been after me for years to make more hunting style knives and not just cowboying type knives. When I met JP 25-30 years ago, he was moving away from the acting world and was doing a lot of writing. He has written several books and works for numerous magazines. In his book "Accidental Cowboy", he details how we met and how I was and without knowing it, helping him with PTSD he had after he'd had been shot twice by a wacko. All I knew at the time was JP would be around, we'd do stuff get together, often at his place, drink some single malt and talk, or I'd take him cowboying. Then I wouldn't see him for a while. Then I would. Then I wouldn't. Heck didn't even know he was working on this book till he stopped by and dropped off a copy. I went down to one of his book signings at Barnes and Noble in Bakersfield. He sees me in the back and tells the crowd "See that tall guy in the back with the black hat?" "That's Dave and this is all his fault!" After reading some he started signing books and dang if some folks didn't have me sign their copy of the book too.

So JP would pester me often about the hunting knife deal. Finally we sat down together and started drawing. His father was in the State Dept and JP had grown up in Germany. He'd envisioned a set of three knives, a hunter, a skinner and a caper. You can certainly see the German influence he brought to the Skinner I told him I already had the perfect caper and I showed him a Tapadero:

He agreed and thought that would be the perfect caper. We finalized our drawings of the other two and started cutting them out of steel. Made a couple of rough blanks and then we started thinking on steel for the finalized project. I'd come down to 52100 which was very hot at the time, the "in" steel and A2. JP like he does, went hunting. These days he was often tying in his trips with articles and such was the case here. He'd gone to a hunting ranch in TX near Sonora. He said this was, "The kind of place God would build if he had the money!" While there he killed a whitetail of a life time and became friends with the manager of the ranch.

He commissioned two knives as gifts, one for the manager and one for the guide that helped him get this buck:

So he came up with the idea of making up two sets of identical knives one in each steel and we'd give them with the manager's agreement to the guides in a blind test. So I made up the six knives with the only difference being was that one set was handled in ironwood and the other in cocobolo. These guys were processing more deer in a week than most folks do in years and they were also a working cattle ranch. My kinda guys. So the manager reported back that the guides at first were swapping sets every other day. Then they started arm wrestling to see who got to take the A2. Finally they split up the A2 set and left the 52100 at the headquarters. Now the capers were never out of those two steels they were from S35V so they were the same except for the handle. The guides left the bigger knives in their packs until needed and were carrying the capers on the belt. They found them really handy for working cattle too which I already knew as that was what the Tapadero was designed for. They didn't do any caping there at the ranch as they had an excellent taxidermist nearby and would let him do it. Interestingly all three, the manager and the two guides became customers and bought more knives with their own money and I made the manager a holster too, one of my Rangeflap Holsters:

An early set of the three knives:

So the three knives became the Sonoran Hunter, the Sonoran Skinner, and the Sonoran Belt Knife. Tried and tested on a ranch near Sonora Tx. Over the years I moved away from the A2 for the hunter and skinner and went with my AEB-L. So that leaves The Sonoran Camp Knife:

How does this fit into the story. Well had another bud, a guide and cowboy named Troy. Troy had recently moved from AK to NV and he sent me a $35 knife someone had given him. He said it's cheap, terribly built, won't hold an edge but I love the shape and size. So I came up with The Sonoran Camp Knife which was my interpretation of this cheap knife he'd sent me. Why do I call it the Sonoran Camp Knife? Dunno, why not? Troy in AK:

And in NV:

Well that's pretty much it.

 

[echoscout]

Once upon a time.....


I have a buddy, JP. Pretty famous guy. He was a Hollywood A lister in the 80s. A big hunter, he's pretty much hunted the world. He'd been after me for years to make more hunting style knives and not just cowboying type knives. When I met JP 25-30 years ago, he was moving away from the acting world and was doing a lot of writing. He has written several books and works for numerous magazines. In his book "Accidental Cowboy", he details how we met and how I was and without knowing it, helping him with PTSD he had after he'd had been shot twice by a wacko. All I knew at the time was JP would be around, we'd do stuff get together, often at his place, drink some single malt and talk, or I'd take him cowboying. Then I wouldn't see him for a while. Then I would. Then I wouldn't. Heck didn't even know he was working on this book till he stopped by and dropped off a copy. I went down to one of his book signings at Barnes and Noble in Bakersfield. He sees me in the back and tells the crowd "See that tall guy in the back with the black hat?" "That's Dave and this is all his fault!" After reading some he started signing books and dang if some folks didn't have me sign their copy of the book too.

So JP would pester me often about the hunting knife deal. Finally we sat down together and started drawing. His father was in the State Dept and JP had grown up in Germany. He'd envisioned a set of three knives, a hunter, a skinner and a caper. You can certainly see the German influence he brought to the Skinner I told him I already had the perfect caper and I showed him a Tapadero:

He agreed and thought that would be the perfect caper. We finalized our drawings of the other two and started cutting them out of steel. Made a couple of rough blanks and then we started thinking on steel for the finalized project. I'd come down to 52100 which was very hot at the time, the "in" steel and A2. JP like he does, went hunting. These days he was often tying in his trips with articles and such was the case here. He'd gone to a hunting ranch in TX near Sonora. He said this was, "The kind of place God would build if he had the money!" While there he killed a whitetail of a life time and became friends with the manager of the ranch.

He commissioned two knives as gifts, one for the manager and one for the guide that helped him get this buck:

So he came up with the idea of making up two sets of identical knives one in each steel and we'd give them with the manager's agreement to the guides in a blind test. So I made up the six knives with the only difference being was that one set was handled in ironwood and the other in cocobolo. These guys were processing more deer in a week than most folks do in years and they were also a working cattle ranch. My kinda guys. So the manager reported back that the guides at first were swapping sets every other day. Then they started arm wrestling to see who got to take the A2. Finally they split up the A2 set and left the 52100 at the headquarters. Now the capers were never out of those two steels they were from S35V so they were the same except for the handle. The guides left the bigger knives in their packs until needed and were carrying the capers on the belt. They found them really handy for working cattle too which I already knew as that was what the Tapadero was designed for. They didn't do any caping there at the ranch as they had an excellent taxidermist nearby and would let him do it. Interestingly all three, the manager and the two guides became customers and bought more knives with their own money and I made the manager a holster too, one of my Rangeflap Holsters:

An early set of the three knives:

So the three knives became the Sonoran Hunter, the Sonoran Skinner, and the Sonoran Belt Knife. Tried and tested on a ranch near Sonora Tx. Over the years I moved away from the A2 for the hunter and skinner and went with my AEB-L. So that leaves The Sonoran Camp Knife:

How does this fit into the story. Well had another bud, a guide and cowboy named Troy. Troy had recently moved from AK to NV and he sent me a $35 knife someone had given him. He said it's cheap, terribly built, won't hold an edge but I love the shape and size. So I came up with The Sonoran Camp Knife which was my interpretation of this cheap knife he'd sent me. Why do I call it the Sonoran Camp Knife? Dunno, why not? Troy in AK:

And in NV:

Well that's pretty much it.

That's a quite an interesting history. Sure enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing it with us

 

[peanutsxx]

Thanks guys for the kind words.

Once upon a time.....


I have a buddy, JP. Pretty famous guy. He was a Hollywood A lister in the 80s. A big hunter, he's pretty much hunted the world. He'd been after me for years to make more hunting style knives and not just cowboying type knives. When I met JP 25-30 years ago, he was moving away from the acting world and was doing a lot of writing. He has written several books and works for numerous magazines. In his book "Accidental Cowboy", he details how we met and how I was and without knowing it, helping him with PTSD he had after he'd had been shot twice by a wacko. All I knew at the time was JP would be around, we'd do stuff get together, often at his place, drink some single malt and talk, or I'd take him cowboying. Then I wouldn't see him for a while. Then I would. Then I wouldn't. Heck didn't even know he was working on this book till he stopped by and dropped off a copy. I went down to one of his book signings at Barnes and Noble in Bakersfield. He sees me in the back and tells the crowd "See that tall guy in the back with the black hat?" "That's Dave and this is all his fault!" After reading some he started signing books and dang if some folks didn't have me sign their copy of the book too.

So JP would pester me often about the hunting knife deal. Finally we sat down together and started drawing. His father was in the State Dept and JP had grown up in Germany. He'd envisioned a set of three knives, a hunter, a skinner and a caper. You can certainly see the German influence he brought to the Skinner I told him I already had the perfect caper and I showed him a Tapadero:

He agreed and thought that would be the perfect caper. We finalized our drawings of the other two and started cutting them out of steel. Made a couple of rough blanks and then we started thinking on steel for the finalized project. I'd come down to 52100 which was very hot at the time, the "in" steel and A2. JP like he does, went hunting. These days he was often tying in his trips with articles and such was the case here. He'd gone to a hunting ranch in TX near Sonora. He said this was, "The kind of place God would build if he had the money!" While there he killed a whitetail of a life time and became friends with the manager of the ranch.

He commissioned two knives as gifts, one for the manager and one for the guide that helped him get this buck:

So he came up with the idea of making up two sets of identical knives one in each steel and we'd give them with the manager's agreement to the guides in a blind test. So I made up the six knives with the only difference being was that one set was handled in ironwood and the other in cocobolo. These guys were processing more deer in a week than most folks do in years and they were also a working cattle ranch. My kinda guys. So the manager reported back that the guides at first were swapping sets every other day. Then they started arm wrestling to see who got to take the A2. Finally they split up the A2 set and left the 52100 at the headquarters. Now the capers were never out of those two steels they were from S35V so they were the same except for the handle. The guides left the bigger knives in their packs until needed and were carrying the capers on the belt. They found them really handy for working cattle too which I already knew as that was what the Tapadero was designed for. They didn't do any caping there at the ranch as they had an excellent taxidermist nearby and would let him do it. Interestingly all three, the manager and the two guides became customers and bought more knives with their own money and I made the manager a holster too, one of my Rangeflap Holsters:

An early set of the three knives:

So the three knives became the Sonoran Hunter, the Sonoran Skinner, and the Sonoran Belt Knife. Tried and tested on a ranch near Sonora Tx. Over the years I moved away from the A2 for the hunter and skinner and went with my AEB-L. So that leaves The Sonoran Camp Knife:

How does this fit into the story. Well had another bud, a guide and cowboy named Troy. Troy had recently moved from AK to NV and he sent me a $35 knife someone had given him. He said it's cheap, terribly built, won't hold an edge but I love the shape and size. So I came up with The Sonoran Camp Knife which was my interpretation of this cheap knife he'd sent me. Why do I call it the Sonoran Camp Knife? Dunno, why not? Troy in AK:

And in NV:

Well that's pretty much it.

That is a terrific backstory, Dave! Fantastic knives and leather as usual.

Funny enough the Sonora area used to be my neck (I was northeast) of the woods (well okay not really any woods there lol) before graduating high school. In fact my college roommate was from Sonora. Small world!

 

[mitch13]

Thanks guys for the kind words.

Once upon a time.....


I have a buddy, JP. Pretty famous guy. He was a Hollywood A lister in the 80s. A big hunter, he's pretty much hunted the world. He'd been after me for years to make more hunting style knives and not just cowboying type knives. When I met JP 25-30 years ago, he was moving away from the acting world and was doing a lot of writing. He has written several books and works for numerous magazines. In his book "Accidental Cowboy", he details how we met and how I was and without knowing it, helping him with PTSD he had after he'd had been shot twice by a wacko. All I knew at the time was JP would be around, we'd do stuff get together, often at his place, drink some single malt and talk, or I'd take him cowboying. Then I wouldn't see him for a while. Then I would. Then I wouldn't. Heck didn't even know he was working on this book till he stopped by and dropped off a copy. I went down to one of his book signings at Barnes and Noble in Bakersfield. He sees me in the back and tells the crowd "See that tall guy in the back with the black hat?" "That's Dave and this is all his fault!" After reading some he started signing books and dang if some folks didn't have me sign their copy of the book too.

So JP would pester me often about the hunting knife deal. Finally we sat down together and started drawing. His father was in the State Dept and JP had grown up in Germany. He'd envisioned a set of three knives, a hunter, a skinner and a caper. You can certainly see the German influence he brought to the Skinner I told him I already had the perfect caper and I showed him a Tapadero:

He agreed and thought that would be the perfect caper. We finalized our drawings of the other two and started cutting them out of steel. Made a couple of rough blanks and then we started thinking on steel for the finalized project. I'd come down to 52100 which was very hot at the time, the "in" steel and A2. JP like he does, went hunting. These days he was often tying in his trips with articles and such was the case here. He'd gone to a hunting ranch in TX near Sonora. He said this was, "The kind of place God would build if he had the money!" While there he killed a whitetail of a life time and became friends with the manager of the ranch.

He commissioned two knives as gifts, one for the manager and one for the guide that helped him get this buck:

So he came up with the idea of making up two sets of identical knives one in each steel and we'd give them with the manager's agreement to the guides in a blind test. So I made up the six knives with the only difference being was that one set was handled in ironwood and the other in cocobolo. These guys were processing more deer in a week than most folks do in years and they were also a working cattle ranch. My kinda guys. So the manager reported back that the guides at first were swapping sets every other day. Then they started arm wrestling to see who got to take the A2. Finally they split up the A2 set and left the 52100 at the headquarters. Now the capers were never out of those two steels they were from S35V so they were the same except for the handle. The guides left the bigger knives in their packs until needed and were carrying the capers on the belt. They found them really handy for working cattle too which I already knew as that was what the Tapadero was designed for. They didn't do any caping there at the ranch as they had an excellent taxidermist nearby and would let him do it. Interestingly all three, the manager and the two guides became customers and bought more knives with their own money and I made the manager a holster too, one of my Rangeflap Holsters:

An early set of the three knives:

So the three knives became the Sonoran Hunter, the Sonoran Skinner, and the Sonoran Belt Knife. Tried and tested on a ranch near Sonora Tx. Over the years I moved away from the A2 for the hunter and skinner and went with my AEB-L. So that leaves The Sonoran Camp Knife:

How does this fit into the story. Well had another bud, a guide and cowboy named Troy. Troy had recently moved from AK to NV and he sent me a $35 knife someone had given him. He said it's cheap, terribly built, won't hold an edge but I love the shape and size. So I came up with The Sonoran Camp Knife which was my interpretation of this cheap knife he'd sent me. Why do I call it the Sonoran Camp Knife? Dunno, why not? Troy in AK:

And in NV:

Well that's pretty much it.

Very interesting indeed, appreciate you sharing it

 

[cbach8tw]

Very cool story and thanks for sharing. That is the kind of story behind the knives that make that model so sweet.